Sheik of Araby
by keem
Summary: Updated 02-05. AU, S3&K. Sonic x Amy x Knux - After Sonic winds up missing, Amy Rose travels to the mysterious Floating Island to find him, only to be taken prisoner by the island's rather hostile Guardian... R
1. island of the honest man

_A/N: Before we begin, let me clear some things up. I had to warp the timeline of the Sonic games to let this fic work the way I wanted it to. This pre-history to this story goes as following: Sonic saves Amy, and eventually develops a romantic relationship with her. Cue the events of Sonic 2. Then cue the concept of Sonic 3, where this novella starts up._

Also, this story is assuming that Sonic was always a resident of Station Square, ala Sonic Adventure. Since Amy is dating Sonic, she lives in Station Square too. While this all may seem confusing, I swear it will make a lot more sense when you get to reading.

For those of you who are looking for Woman, I'll be getting to that soon (hopefully). The later chapters are especially hard for me to make up, mostly because I don't know which pairing to swing. Although this, too, is Sonic x Amy x Knux, I already have a definite ending in mind.

Aiight, aiight! Get to reading. I promise this wont dissapoint. (I hope, anyway)

Cue Sonic 3. And don't forget, as always, to review.

* * *

"i'm the sheik of araby / your love belongs to mine / at night while you're alseep / into your tent i will creep--"

**the sheik of araby **

"Sonic, please!" Amy Rose begged, pulling fiercely on his arm. "Don't go!" The blue hedgehog tried his best to ignore her, half-dragging her outside of his workshop. He jerkily made his way down the stone steps, his girlfriend wound tightly around him. He deliberately avoided her pleading gaze, instead looking around for her best friend and partner. "Hey, Tails! You ready?"

"Just a minute, Sonic!" came the fox's cheerful voice from the runway. The two-tailed pup was inspecting the colorful array gadgets that adorned their recently repaired Tornado, making one last minute check-up. Finally, he lifted his head, his face smeared with grease and oil. He was smiling. "Alright, she's ready for take-off!"

"SOOONIIIC!"

The spikey-haired hero rolled his eyes and held up two fingers, indicating he needed a moment of privacy. Annoyed, he turned around, dragging Amy Rose back behind the building, away from the curious child's eyes.

"Amy," Sonic said firmly, shaking the petite hedgehog from his arm. It felt weird and tingly as the circulation of blood returned to it. He surpressed a groan - he was probably going to sport a fantastic bruise later.

"Sonic," Amy returned, glaring. Her expression immediately softened, looking decidedly shaken. "Please Sonic, I-"

"I thought my compulsive hero thing was apart of my charm," Sonic interrupted, waggling his eyebrows. "Remember?"

"Well.." the hedgehog looked sheepish. Sonic smiled, patting on her head dismissively, as if to say 'See?' She shook her head, stepping out from beneath the flat of his palm. "No, Sonic..." she said, more seriously. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

"Amy," Sonic said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You take your cards way too seriously."

His girlfriend bristled, clearly taking offense. "Sonic, will you listen to me for once? I really think you need to-"

"Amy," Sonic's voice was so sharp that the pink hedgehog started, looking up. "Don't you think THAT--" he gestured wildly behind him, toward the horizon, "is a little weird?"

Amy didn't have to look to know what he was talking about. There loomed the island, several miles off the coast of the beach, mysteriously suspended in the sky. Amy knew Sonic's reasoning for going out today - the very prescence of this previously unseen phenonom was very unsettling. As a well known protagonist, he had the responsibility of protecting the residents of Station Square as well as those abroad. Although the island itself hadn't done anything out of the ordinary since it had drifted out over the ocean, it was still raising some public concern. Sonic was just doing his civic duty.  
"Sonic," Amy Rose said miserably, even though she knew it was no use.

"Amy, Amy, Amy," Sonic looped one arm easily over the smaller hedgehog's shoulders, pulling her close. "Listen, I'm not going out there to rage a war or nothing, okay? I'm just going a little potral run - see what's up. I promise I'll be home tonight. Besides," he gave her a wicked grin and produced one of the seven emeralds he had acquired during his last head-on collision with Robotnik. "I'm dying to test these babies out."

Amy sighed. She moved to turn away, but Sonic caught her under the chin, pulling her into a surprisingly tender kiss. When he drew back, she had flushed a bright red, panting heavily.

"Nice to see I still have that effect on you," he winked.

"I hate you!" She tried to shove him but he artfully dodged, laughing musically as he trotted away. She stumbled but caught her balance and he turned around, facing her as he walked backwards toward his bi-plane. "I'll take you out to dinner tonight!" Sonic called to her, with that same vivacious smile. "Does eight sound good to you?"

She nodded, cupping one hand along the side of her mouth to amplify her voice. "You promise?"

"I promise!"

* * *

Sonic broke his promise.

Amy Rose sat on the steps in front of Tails' workshop, trying to fight her rising panic. Four hours late, four hours late--should she be worried? Was she overreacting? Amy grimaced, jumping to her feet. She began to pace, trying to shake away the settling dread that was making its home in her stomach. While Sonic wasn't considered the most punctual of creatures, never before had he forgotten his plans completely. At most, she could recall him being a half an hour late.. but by Hyne, it was past midnight!

What if something happened?

Amy's eyebrows furrowed and she bit her lip, struggling to hold back a flurry of tears. She pressed one clenched fist to her mouth, trying to regulate her breathing. Something was most definitely wrong, she decided grimly. She turned back toward the workshop, running up its steps and wrenching the door open before dissapearing inside.  
Ten minutes later found Amy Rose easing one of Tails' prototype bi-planes out onto the runway. He had recently done a few test runs on it with Amy in the secondary seat. While she didn't frequent in the air with him as often as Sonic, he had been teaching her how to fly. Amy Rose pulled the pair of goggles down over her eyes. She just hoped that her limited knowledge of planes was enough.

She looked down at all the dials and switches, trying to register all the ones she knew. Fortunately, the plane wasn't suped up enough to give her trouble with recalling their individual purposes. She nodded, feeling a little safer. It wasn't like she hadn't done this before - she just hadn't done it before without supervision. Regardless, the prospect of flying solo seemed easy enough. Right?

Right. Amy fired the mammoth up, listening to the whine of the engine before it ascended to a full fledged roar. Wincing at the noise, she flipped all the switches necessary to get herself going, and then screamed as the plane suddenly shot off down the runway at over a hundred miles per hour.

* * *

Here we are, Amy thought uncomfortably as she circled overhead along the edge of the floating island. She didn't know what to expect from the looming behemoth landmass, but up close it was really quite unspectacular. There seemed to be nothing out the ordinary concerning it - despite its unique air suspension. Furthermore, there seemed to be no sign of a crash, or a struggle - but then again, there was no sign of Sonic's biplane either.

Not knowing what else to do, Amy took her own plane in for a landing. She did it relatively smoothly - though she almost crashed into a tree, temporarily blinded by the intense foliage that met her down below. Regardless, she escaped the somewhat harrowing experience unscathed, and pulled herself up and out of Tails' newest invention, smoothing out the wrinkles in her cherry-red dress.

Amy stood against the plane for a moment, listening quietly and trying to take in her surroundings. The island was completely silent, save the chirpings of crickets. If she closed her eyes, she felt like she was back in the Mystic Ruins - except there was something different in this air, something heavier, humidity maybe? The island was definitely tropical.

Amy fished out the napsack she had prepared back at the shed, producing one of two flashlights. She switched it on, causing a portion of the area to gratifyingly illuminate. She was surprised to find a pathway directly in her line of sight, parting through the dense trees and winding deeper towards what she presumed where the center of the island was. With Sonic in mind, she followed it.

* * *

Amy didn't know how long she had been walking, but she knew it had been for a while. Surprisingly, however, she hadn't grown disheartened with her lack of progress. Quite the contrary, actually - she had discovered two pairs of slightly triangular footprints, resembling the hightops her boyfriend and his friend liked to wear. They had been here, alright.

"Who knows?" Amy mumbled, mostly to herself. "Maybe they got lost.. or they're still exploring." The idea didn't seem too unlikely; Sonic liked to explore, and she could see how he could lose track of time in an island paradise like this. Maybe he came across something truly awe-inspiring - maybe there was treasure here, or ancient Aztec ruins left by a forgotten people, or... Amy's mind raced with the prospect. She was getting a little excited herself. Everywhere she turned she was met with something beautiful - all sorts of exotic plants and flowers decorated the vast landscape. She had wanted to pick some earlier, but decided against it in case they were poisonous or wanted to give her an ugly rash. After all, every rose had its thorn.  
Amy Rose had to fight her way through a particular fierce patch of underground, nearly tripping on some vines. When she cleared it, however, she was met with the most amazing sight yet on her journey: a waterfall!

"Wow." For a moment, Amy stilled, completely captivated by the sight. She raised her flashlight, following its beam to the top of its crest. It was at least two hundred feet up, crashing down into its huge pool down below that stretched in a circular shape several meters wide. Down below Amy could hear the soft sounds of croaking frogs and other water-dwellers that inhabited the area. Amy Rose had never seen such a sight - only saw pictures of it in books in the library.

The idea of finding Sonic momentairly forgotten, Amy fell to her knees, peering into the water's crystalline depths. With the aid of her flashlight she saw her own captivated expression gazing back, smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. With her free hand she gently touched the top of the water, watching it ripple wonderously beneath her curious fingertips. That was when someone seized her by the throat, pitching her backwards with incredible force.

Amy cried out as she was thrown backwards, losing hold of her flashlight. It bounced and rolled and then suddenly sputtered out, causing the area to plummet into darkness. She heard the rustling sounds of something - some monster! - moving around her, everywhere and yet nowhere. Suddenly terrified out of her mind, Amy fearfully moved her hand around in the darkness, trying to find where the flashlight had rolled to.

"You," came a voice, painfully close. Amy Rose froze, her hand trembling along the itchy grass. "Intruder! What gives you the right to set foot on MY island?" It seemed to draw even more impossibly close to her, so close that she could feel its hot, sickly breath along her neck. "Pl-please, I--"

"Shut up," it hissed. "You came for HIM, didn't you? I should kill you."

"What--what are y-you--" Amy struggled with her words until she dissolved into hot, tragic tears. Suddenly her own flashlight flickered on, and she found herself face-to-face with her attacker.

He was unlike anything she had ever seen! Tall, taller then Sonic even, and the color of blood. He was looking down upon her angerily, flashlight aimed at her face. He had broad shoulders with sleek muscles, and long, fat dreadlocks that framed his contorted face. He looked powerful, and dangerous in stature - but it was his hands that frightened her the most; enormous, with two nasty looking barbs on the each of them, perfect for tearing her to shreds.

Amy whimpered.

The blood creature glared at her with such hatred that it was almost physically painful. Amy Rose closed her eyes, more tears spilling out from beneath her eyelashes. Her attacker still loomed, as if deliberating something.

"This is good," he murmured suddenly, in an husky, exotic accent. "In fact, this is perfect." Coming to a decision, he kicked her unkindly with one foot. "Get up."

Amy Rose gasped, moving one arm up to sheild her face from him. "Please don't hurt me! I--"

"I said get up," came his voice again, dangerously quiet. Then suddenly one of those monsterous fists grabbed her beneath the elbow, yanking her violently to her feet. Amy Rose teetered uneasily as he jostled her forward. "What's your name?" came his voice against her ear. It evoked strange goosebumps that she didn't like.

"A-Amy." What choice did she have?

"Well, Amy," he said, and she could feel the smirk. "You and I are going to have lots of fun tonight."

* * *

_A/N: Positive, negative, or constructive feedback is both encouraged and welcomed. Should I continue? You decide!_


	2. Wrong Impression

A/N: _First off, I wanted to thank Kaz for pointing out that the chapter seemed a little rushed. Thanks! I was wondering about that. I have_ Sheik of Araby_written all the way through the beginning of the fifth chapter already (which is incredibly fast, even for me), and by the end of the fourth there's some romance going on. I tried to backpedal a little in the beginning of the fifth chapter, just to make it seem more realistic; regardless, things get on, get going, andthings are done with reallyquickly._

_I just want to apologize ahead if things seem to be going a little fast-paced. (But then again, isn't Sonic 3 & and Knuckles a fast-paced e him still I couldjust really use a second opinion.ble!) I'll try to slow it down. I'm pretty pleased with the first four chapters, so I'm not going to try to play with them_ too _much_._ Even still, I'll try my best._

_I'm also interested in potentially getting a beta-reader, if anyone'sinterested? My current beta reader is too compliant. "Sure, it's great!" he says... to just about anything. But I love him still I couldjust really use a second opinion. This applies to further chapters of_ Sheik _along with_ Woman_, when I get around to them. If anyone's interested, contact me on AIM ;D__In the meantime, read, review, and enjoy!_

_---_

"Hurry up," came her attacker's forceful voice. He pushed Amy Rose forward and she stumbled, hands thrown out to catch herself. She landed uncomfortably against the hard rock walls of the underground tunnel as he shoved past her. When she didn't follow him he tossed his head back angerily, dreadlocks whipping about his face like beaded ornates. "What're you doing?" he barked loudly, his voice echoing along the granite walls. "Keep walking!"

Amy was slow to look him in the eyes, feeling dazed and disoriented. "I.. don't feel so well," she admitted, moving one hand along her forehead to wipe away a fat drop of sweat. "It's getting so... hot..." "That's because we're in the Lava Reef Zone," he snapped, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her forward and she stumbled, crashing into him.

"I REALLY don't feel well," she muttered. In her unstable state, her fear had gave way to sickness. Once again her hand rose to wipe away the sweat, only to find that several more thick droplets had developed. They had entered the underground tunnel some time ago, and the further they pressed on, the more difficulty Amy found in breathing. She heard her attacker say something, pulling her forward again, before her vision gave out completely. Blind and lost she moaned, and then catapulted forward into nothingness.

When she came to Amy Rose found herself curled up in the fetal position on a pile of leaves, strange and surprisingly velvet to the touch. She lifted her elegant head, moaning as the rest of the world was slow to follow. For a few moments she half-knelt on all fours, trying to get the vertigo to subside. Finally she could get up into the sitting position, and tried to fully drink in her surroundings.

The area was adorned with several torches, dimly illuminating the room. It had a high ceiling that shot up for several hundred feet, kept up by seemingly ancient marble pillars. The floor, also, was made of marble - pale, dust-covered blue tiles that seemed to stretch on nearly infinitely before it abruptly met another wall. The room was closed in on all four sides with only one exit - huge double doors opposite to where she lay. They were encompassing, nearly taking up the entire space of the wall - how could anyone open doors that big?

The room was completely barren, with the exception to its inhabitants. Amy wondered, briefly curious and awe-inspired, what lay in wait on the other side of those doors.

Someone swore, and Amy turned her head. Her kidnapper was at the wall nearest to her, stalking back and forth with furious footsteps. His hand was pressed up against the side of his face, presumably talking into a communicator.

"I _know_," he was saying. His form casted a haunting shadow along the wall beside him, impossibly enormous. He ran his free hand through his dreadlocks, looking irritated.

His walkie-talker crackled to life. "Knuckles! I don't think you _do _understand the severity of the situation. Those two are trouble; believe me, I know from experience! Don't let them push any further into the island! And hang onto those emeralds!"

"Yeah, yeah," the one called 'Knuckles' responded, looking more then mildly irritated in the darkness of the cavern.

"Knuckles out." There was a beep and the static of his communicator dissapeared entirely, once again pitching the area into silence. Then he turned around.

Amy Rose froze, wondering what she should do. Knuckles narrowed his eyes at her, folding his arms across his broad chest. The pink hedgehog shrank closer to the ground, trying to ignore the horrible sinking feeling in her stomach.

"So," he said scathingly. "You're awake." He came forward, letting his arms drop to swing at his sides. "Like this place? Think it's pretty?" He gestured with an open palm to the cavern around him, but his piercing gaze never wavered. "I bet Sonic would think so too, if he could find it."

Amy couldn't help but jump at the sound of her beloved's name. "What have you done with him!"

Knuckles bristled, as if she had something very offensive. Then he hesitated, looking uncertain. "Well..." he said slowly, and then smiled a wicked, terrible little smile. "Nothing... yet."

He circled her slowly, his head turned away from her, instead surveying the area around them. "You're my prisoner," he said, and then suddenly grinned down at her. "And while I may not have plans for you yet..." At the sound of his voice Amy Rose turned away, only for him to grab her fiercely by the chin, forcing her to look up at him. "... The good Doctor and I have been throwing some ideas back and forth..."

The good Doctor! Robotnik! So that's who he had been talking to! She jerked free from his grasp, her hands slapping hard against the flooring as she landed. "I can't even begin to comprehend what you've got in mind," she said hatefully.

Knuckles leaned over her, eyes ablaze. "Oh trust me, I can be VERY imaginative."

Amy found herself flushing a deep scarlet - as scarlet as the other man's fur. "You're disgusting," she said, and moved to stand.

"Stay right where you are!" he ordered with such ferocity that she immediately dropped back down. "I've heard a lot about you, Miss Rose. Don't piss me off; you wont like what happens to you or your boyfriend if you do."

Amy Rose kept her mouth shut, more out of fear for Sonic then her own safety. While she didn't doubt Sonic's fighting ability, she didn't want to think of the nasty things Knuckles could do with the emeralds.

"I don't take to kindly to intruders on my island," Knuckles continued, moving away from her. "Especially those who are out to steal the Master Emerald."

"What're you talking about?" Amy couldn't help but ask. "I'm not--"

"Be quiet," Knuckles hissed, snapping back around to face her. Amy Rose rose shrank away from his glowering apperance. "As I was saying," he continued, his features smoothing over into that same sadistic smile. "I haven't found a fitting punishment for you yet. But I think it will have to do with something along the lines of watching me make your boyfriend eat shit." He walked back towards her, still smiling. "You see, I'm something of a romantic..."

Amy simply looked away.


	3. Believe me, Natalie

_A/N: Three years later, and the drama continues. This chapter was a little... dated, so I dusted it off and made a few changes. Hopefully you guys will all enjoy. Is there anyone still out there still reading this? Let me know! :)_

"Get up."

Amy stirred from her fetal position on the floor. "What?" she asked blearily, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes.

"I said, _get up_. We're moving you today," Knuckles said impatiently, seizing Amy under her armpit and yanking her rudely to her feet. The rough treatment shook the remaining vestiges of sleep free, and she glared at him.

"And where are you planning on taking me?"

"You'll see. Well, actually, no, you wont." The scarlet creature raised his other bubous fist, where he was clutching a bandana. The last thing she saw was his leering, smirking face before he spun her around, pulling the cloth tight around her eyes and tying it expertly in the back. The pink hedgehog knew better than to fight back - after spending most of the night in his company, she had learned two things: that Knuckles was quick to anger, and ruthless in demeanor. That, combined with the fact that he was armed with natural weaponry at the tip of each of his enormous fists, was enough to keep her from trying her luck. She simply allowed him to manhandle her, yanking her unkindly along behind him as he dragged into her the unknown.

* * *

"Well, well, well! I was wondering when we would meet again."

Her blindfold was pulled free with a dramatic flourish. Amy blinked several times as she was greeted with blinding white light, her optics trying desperately to adjust to their new surroundings. After a moment, the world came to be in a more muted, less obstrusive focus - and she realized she was standing in the center of a brightly-lit, expansive command center. There were monitors stacked to the ceilings, accompanied with huge panels crowded with seemingly thousands of buttons and knobs. The dozens of screens adorning the rooms were offering the pink hedgehog various perspectives of the island, most trained upon unmoving and desolate pathways winding through dense foliage. For a moment, Amy simply gaped at it all.

"Amy Rose, wasn't it?" came the cruel, sneering voice from behind her. "I knew it would only be a matter of time before you showed up." She whirled around to find herself face-to-face with the diabolical scientist, Dr. Robotnik. The technological tyrant was watching her ruefully, shaking his head as he folded his arms across his chest. "The Master Emerald was too great of an opportunity to pass up, wasn't it?" His gaze flickered over briefly to Knuckles, who was glowering at her.

"What are you even _talking_ about?" Amy demanded, her anger piqued by the apperance of her most hated enemy. "I don't even know what a master emerald is, and frankly, I could care less. Just tell me what you've done with Sonic!"

The doctor acted as though he hadn't heard her. "Like moths to a flame," he told Knuckles, who was still regarding Amy with that same scathing look. "Where there's unfathomable power, there's meddling hedgehogs. It's a shame that you've been suddenly bombarded with an onslaught of petty _thieves_." The pink hedgehog rose up indignantly at the sound of the accusation.

"Now that's a joke, if I've ever heard one!" Amy shot, clenching her fists angrily at her sides. "_You're_ the one whose hell-bent on world domination, Robotnik. A 'master emerald' seems like it would be right up your alley!"

This time, Knuckles did turn to look at Robotnik. The scientist was doing his best to look offended. "What slander and lies! Why, I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for the fact that I had crash-landed in the nearby ocean, thanks to your little boyfriend. Shot out of the sky, simply for conducting a little scientific research! And don't pretend that I don't know why. Sonic thought I was working on some weapon, and that wrathful little nuisiance wanted it for his own devices! So he came up into space to take it from me, and tore my ship apart looking for it. And there I was, simply trying to find the cure for cancer! And now we may never have it, because Sonic has wrecked _everything_."

_A cure for cancer_? Amy nearly laughed outright. Still, she stole a glance at Knuckles - the scarlet animal was watching Robotnik interestedly, his grimace becoming more and more pronounced as the doctor went along. It was clear he was buying into the whole thing. Ether Robotnik was a particuarily good liar and Amy had just become immune to his charms after seeing his trechery firsthand, or the other creature was incredibly gullible. And Amy Rose was willing to bet on the latter.

"Robotnik has been taking refuge on the Island," Knuckles informed her unkindly, "thanks to the havoc you and your friends have inflicted upon him. Unfortunately, his prescence here seems to have drawn other unwanted guests, as well."

"Fortunately, Knuckles and I have decided to join forces," Robotnik continued. "Offering my services is the least I could do, after inadvertently luring your boyfriend and his motley crew here."

"Please," Amy scoffed, waving the overweight human off in disgust. "The island is clearly visible from Station Square! The only reason Sonic came here was to see whether he should write it off as a threat or not - and make sure _you _weren't behind it all!"

"A likely story!" Robotnik roared in response, "but we both know why he's really here! To take the Master Emerald and finish me off!" He rounded on Knuckles for support. "You saw him firsthand, Knuckles - weilding the power of the Emeralds, blasting through the sky shamelessly toward the Island, before you were fortunate enough to take them from him! As you can clearly see, he's a power-hungry rat with no regard for others! It would be especially devestating if he were to get his hands on your Emerald. Why, think of what destruction he would be capable of, armed with an unlimited battery source!"

"Are you serious?" Amy cried. "Sonic uses the power of the Emeralds for good! Furthermore, he acquired them through _honest_ means, Robotnik." She put an especially large amount of emphasis in this words, hoping somehow she could convey the truth of the matter to Knuckles - that Sonic was not the enemy here. The ruby-colored animal, however, looked completely unconvinced. The fact that Knuckles appeared to be so stupidly _dense _fueled her sudden source of courage and rage, rallying futilely against them both. She pivoted to face the other creature, glaring hatefully. "Sonic got those Emeralds fair and square, Knuckles - they were his. And you had no right to take them!"

"He was using them blithely," Knuckles told her evenly. "The Emeralds are not some common weapon to be bandished in such a impudent manner, like a spear or a sword. Something so powerful should not to be entrusted to someone so unconcerned of the potential repercussions that can come from its use."

"I can't believe you're actually buying into this!" Amy began, but suddenly the control room was basked in a flickering, angry red glow as sirens began to wail overhead.

"The hedgehog has been spotted!" Robotnik said excitedly, immediately bounding over to one of the panels and typing furiously.

"Where?!" Knuckles demanded, and suddenly every single monitor in the room became trained onto a single image. The trio looked up to see Sonic and Tails standing in a clearing where Amy's abandoned bi-plane was. The two of them were walking around the little plane, looking grim. Sonic was saying something, frowning thoughtfully as he ran his along across its propeller.

"Turn it up!" Knuckles said heatedly, and Robotnik did as he was told.

"--hope Eggman didn't get ahold of her," Sonic continued as the volume came to life, "or that red weirdo." Amy's heart skipped a beat - they were talking about _her_. "C'mon, Tails, lets juice. If she's still out wandering around, hopefully we can reach her before _they_ do." He revved up and suddenly shot off on-screen as the camera tried in vain to catch up without avail. The hedgehog was apparently too fast for the motion sensors to properly react and track him. He was gone.

"Well, we've got a general idea of where they are, anyway," Knuckles said, who was already making his way toward the door. "I'll see if I can't intercept them. Watch the girl!" he threw over his shoulder, and dissapeared.

"With pleasure," Robotnik said, a little late, before Knuckles was already long gone. He turned and faced Amy, a great big grin spreading across his face. The pink hedgehog spun around and immediately raced for the exit after Knuckles, but the doctor was too fast - in an instant he was at his control panel again, and the doors slid shut with a resounding 'clang' before she could eclipse their threshold. The pink hedgehog banged her fists uselessly against them, knowing she was trapped. Gasping for breath with the effort, she turned around to glare at him.

"You're such a lying SCUMBAG!" she said, and her voice echoed hollowly around them. The mad scientist cackled at her obvious distress.

"And Sonic is about to be _dead meat_," he said gleefully, drawing his fingers across the keyboard once again. There were a few beeps, and words she couldn't read scrolled across the screen. "I'm sending out some 'bots to give them a _proper _welcome to the Island. If Knuckles doesn't finish them off first, they sure will!"


	4. Combat Baby

"Fascinating creature, isn't he?" Robotnik said, almost admiringly, fingers working furiously at the keyboard. "Bit of a moron, though."

Secretly, Amy agreed. "I can't believe you've pitted him against us like that!" she spat, glaring at the overweight overlander with the utmost contempt.

"And _I _can't believe how easily he fell for it," Robotnik simpered in repsonse, his eyes twinkling in delight. "I guess 'brains' wasn't apart of the job description." He cocked his head to one side as he pulled up survelliance footage of Knuckles making his way into the forest. "Hrm, slight change of plans: it appears that the bots are about to overtake him." He minimized the window and pulled up another one in its stead, this one which was trained upon Sonic shimmying his way up a palm tree as Tails hoevered overhead. Amy's breath caught again as she laid eyes on her boyfriend once again.

"Do you see any sign of her, Tails?" came Sonic's voice, tinny and distant over the airwaves.

The little kitsune was sheilding his gaze against the sun as he stared out into the distance. "No," he said, frowning.

Sonic's eyebrows furrowed as he swung himself up onto the highest branch of the tree, also peering out into the distance. "Damn," he said finally, squinting over the tops of the trees in the distance. His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Hey, Tails, what's that?"

"What's what?"

"That thing. Coming towards us right now..." His eyes widened as recogonition registered. "Tails, its one of Ro-butt-nik's bots! DUCK!" The blue hedgehog threw himself sideways out of the tree. Both Tails and Amy gasped in unision as Sonic tackled him rugby-style to the ground, just in the nick of time; not a second later, the mechanical monstrosity pierced the air in which the kit had formerly been occupying.

"Whoa!"

"Damn! Just barely missed him!" Robotnik said, stamping one enormous clown-foot in frustration. "Oh well, there's more than one way to skin a hedgehog!" He said, perking up as suddenly the robot twisted in midair, suddenly jettisoning flames out of the front of him like a flamethrower. Sonic rolled sideways, taking Tails with him as the trees behind them were immediately torched. Not to be deterred, the robot shot out a second column moments thereafter, this time causing some of the grass around them to ignite.

"Whoa!" Sonic cried in susprise, leaping to his feet and striking an appropriate battle stance. Tails fell in step beside him. "You know, I'm not really a fan of barbeque, personally." He danced to one side, yanking Tails with him as they narrowly avoided being struck with an another explosion of fire. "No? Didn't like that one? I swear, you bots have no sense of humor." He dodged a third burst, glancing behind him as a nearby tree went completely up in flames. As both Sonic and Amy jointly took in his surroundings, they saw that the majority of the forest around him was either already ablaze or in immediate danger of becoming so. "Alright, this is gettin' out of hand," Sonic said, looking a little alarmed at how quickly the situation was escalating. "Time to kick some tin-can ass!" He cried, tucking his feet up underneath him as he came down the metal plating of the robot's head in a Sonic-spin.

Amy watched nervously as Sonic and Tails battled the pyrotechnical baddie. As the seconds wore on, however, it became clear that it was a one-sided fight. Almost as quickly as it began, it ended, leaving the robot in pieces and Sonic and Tails as the undisputed victors. Robotnik looked sorely dissapointed.

"Blast, another narrow escape," Robotnik said, snapping his fingers in dismay.

"Narrow? Looks like they made pretty short work of that 'bot to me," Amy said, folding her arms across her chest as she smirked. The weight that seemed to have impressed itself on her heart was suddenly lifted; she felt positively giddy, seeing Sonic thwart the badguys yet again.

There was thrashing in the nearby foliage that had not yet caught fire. Both Sonic and Tails whirled around at the source of the noise, and Amy felt a flicker of panic as Knuckles crashed through the trees. Standing face-to-face with Sonic and Tails, with a blazing forest serving as a backdrop behind them, Knuckles seemed momentairly stunned. Then his face contorted up into an ugly, twisted shape as he seemed to come loose from the webs of his confusion. The echidna was litterally shaking with rage, and Amy was suddenly very, very afraid for Sonic's safety - much moreso than she had been when he was going toe-to-toe with Robotnik's latest minion.

"You did this, didn't you?" If looks could kill, Knuckles would have struck Sonic dead with a dastardly stare that would have put Medusa's to shame.

"What?" Sonic said, taking a step back as the echidna advanced. "What? No! This - this was Robotnik's work!"

"How - how dare you -" he sputtered. The scarlet creature seemed beyond words - and, staring in the madness of his face, beyond reason -

"Oh ho!" Robotnik cried, cackling in peverse delight as Amy continued to stare at the screen in rapt attention, torn between shock and terror. "This has gone better than I could have ever hoped! Sonic's really in for it now!"

"_Sonic_!" Amy warned harshly, without avail; the hedgehog couldn't hear, and the echidna was surprisingly fast and agile for his enormous stature. He struck out with a lightning-fast swipe, seizing the hedgehog by the throat and suddenly hoisting him into the air.

"Let him go!" Tails said, immediately hurling himself into the other creature in an attempt to free Sonic from his clutches. The echidna's stance was rigid and unmoving, his grip unyielding; Sonic tried in vain to use his own hands to pry the scarlet animal's fingers loose without any sort of real success.

"Sonic!" Amy cried out again, this time in anguish; she felt the harsh sting of tears in her eyes. Meanwhile, the hedgehog's face was slowly turning purple as his windpipe was deliberately crushed.

"You're _disgusting_," Knuckles spat, as Tails continued to beat his fists uselessly into his shoulder. "There are hundreds of creatures who call this forest home--"

"I'm t-telling you--" Sonic gurgled. "It w-wasn't me--"

"Will you _stop_ that?" Knuckles snarled venemously, suddenly kicking out sideways. His foot made contact with the soft plush of Tails' stomach, knocking the wind out of the kit as he was sent hurtling backwards and away from him.

"T-Tails!" Sonic croaked as Tails yelped in pain, struggling harder now against his assailant's vice-like grip.

"I'm about to teach you a very important lesson, hedgehog," Knuckles growled hatefully, finally releasing his hold on the cobalt hero's throat. The hedgehog collapsed in a heap before the other creature, sucking in great gasps of air as oxygen was allowed to fully return to his lungs. Sonic wasn't listening; he was already half-crawling, half-dragging himself along the ground to where Tails lay curled into a ball several feet away. "And you know what that is?" When Sonic didn't immediately respond, Knuckles seized the hedgehog by a fistful of spines and forcibly dragged him away from his wounded companion.

"Hey!"

"Don't you ever, _ever _fuck with my island," Knuckles said quietly, in a voice so barely audible that both Amy Rose and Robotnik had to strain to hear it. Sonic froze as Knuckles' grip noticeably tightened, a look not unlike fear seizing his features. There was a beat in which no one spoke, and in which Amy couldn't breathe - and then suddenly Knuckles pulled Sonic around into a spin, gaining momentum as he twisted in circles before suddenly releasing his hold on the other male's quills and sending him hurtling straight into the survelliance camera following them. There was a crash and then Amy and Robotnik lost their live feed completely as connection was severed. The survelliance camera, Amy figured, had been destroyed upon impact.

They continued to stare at the static for some time, as if unable to fully comprehend what had just happened.

"Wow," Robotnik said, apparently as stunned by the show of brutality as Amy was. "That was pretty... fierce."

As Amy was struck with the magnitude of the situation, she came to a decision. "Alright, Robotnik," she said, whirling upon the technological tyrant with a determined glint in her eye. "Let me out of here. I'm going to find Sonic."

"Like hell you are," Robotnik scoffed, looking almost amused by the demand. "You think I'm just going to let you waltz out there into the wilderness to try and throw a wrench in my plans? You're my prisoner, girl!"

"I don't think you understand," Amy said blackly, her eyes narrowing to slits. "That was not request." She got to her feet.

Robotnik mirrored her movements, his own stature considerably taller and larger than her own. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice challenging, "were you getting a smart mouth with me, you insolent little bra--"

He never got to finish, as Amy's booted-heel came rocketting up inbetween his legs. The doctor's eyes bulged as he gave a strangled yelp, hands immediately moving to cradle his damaged jewels as he crumpled like a deck of cards onto one side.

"And there's more where that comes from," Amy said visciously, glaring down upon him like some sort of wrathful goddess, "if you don't tell me how to open these doors - " her gaze flickered over to the entrance Robotnik had originally sealed after Knuckles' exit - "_now_."

"O-over... there..." the doctor whispered, blinking back tears of pain as the little pink hedgehog trotted over to the panel on the lift.

"K-keycode is 1217..." he rasped as Amy quickly inputted the numbers. "L-leave... d-do whatever you want... just p-please... don't hit me again."

"Thanks, _doc_," Amy all but snarled as the doors receded back into the walls with a faint whoosh, leaving a clear path ahead. "Appreciate it." And she immediately set off down the halls in search of Sonic, determined to be reunited with her loved-one and make sure that everything was okay.


	5. Into the Fire

It didn't take long for Amy to find the exit. When she originally set off down the halls, she thought Knuckles had taken her back to the Death Egg itself – it was very likely the massive battleship would have been salvageable, since it ended up adrift somewhere in the ocean after falling– but as she reached the doors illuminated by a fainting glowing 'Exit' sign overhead, she knew it possibly couldn't be. For one thing, it was too small—too cramped with halls there were virtually straight-forward. It also lacked the labyrinth mazes, pitfalls, and multitudes of baddies that Sonic had described when he had been within its confines.

As she crossed the threshold into the jungle beyond, she gave one fleeting glance backwards to confirm that it was most definitely, 100 not the Death Egg. It was just some temporary base Robotnik had established on the Island during his recent stay. Amy counted backwards in her head—it had been nearly three months since Sonic had sent the enormous ship careening back towards the Earth into the ocean. Although the command center was no where near as impressive as its predecessor in the sky, it was still rather remarkable—especially considering the short amount of time it had been established. Amy briefly wondered if Robotnik had conducted its construction himself, or if the echidna had helped. Perhaps the Island held a few technological secrets; or maybe its Guardian didn't live as archaically as she was originally led to believe…

Amy returned her focus to the immediate task ahead: find Sonic. Internally wishing she had brought Piko Piko along for the journey for an extra sense of security, she squinted into the distance to try and figure out where the fire as. She looked left, then right, with no success. Frowning thoughtfully, she then turned around completely to look behind her—and voila. Over the top of distant trees she could see a faint orange glow, accompanied with a column of smoke making a lazy arch into the sky. It wasn't all that close—but not all that far, either. Gritting her teeth, Amy set out at a jog, determined to be re-united with her beloved.

The closer Amy drew to the scene of Knuckles' confrontation with Sonic, the more ill she began to feel.

The havoc the 'bot had wreaked was staggering—everywhere she looked, the landscape was desolate and wilted. Although most of the flames had been put out—how, she had no idea—there was no denying the ecosystem had suffered painfully. Everywhere she turned there was devastation. The lush vegetation that had greeted her upon her arrival had been wiped out in an alarmingly short amount of time, and the earth was scorched and dry. Amy thought of the birds she had heard when she first set foot here, and wondered what other creatures may have called this particular part of the Island home. She wondered what happened to them—she wondered which ones fled, and which weren't quick enough… and shuddered. The barren wasteland facing her caused a shiver to arch its way up her spine, painful and unpleasant as simultaneously, a lump formed in her throat. How many animals had lost their home here, their lives? The mere thought made her stomach twist up into knots, and felt suddenly very, very sick.

* * *

She was so absorbed in the horrific scene before her that she didn't hear him coming until he was beside her, his hand roughly clasping her by the shoulder and yanking her around so that she was forced to look into the madness of his face.

"Knuckles!" she cried in alarm, so surprised she didn't immediately try to wrench away.

"So I heard you escaped," he said darkly, just as her eyes caught sight of a headset partially hidden beneath his dreadlocks, the mouthpiece swiveled his mouth. His own eyes darted to the view she had previously been so horrified by. "Your boyfriend did a pretty good job at destroying the Floating Island's delicate ecosystem. Are you proud of him? Good thing I can channel the Emerald's power to re-habilitate this area—otherwise these trees would take decades to grow back to even half their former glory."

She wondered if that's how he put out the fire. "It's… it's awful," she told him truthfully, aghast by the destruction that had been brought upon this particular area. "But Sonic didn't do it…"

His gaze, if possible, hardened. "I don't believe you," he said simply.

"I'm telling you the truth!" Amy cried. "Robotnik sent a 'bot with a flamethrower to do this!"

"What a ridiculous story," Knuckles scoffed. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"You're such a _moron_," Amy responded, with feeling, "if you believe anything that fat jerk says. How could Sonic even be capable of such devastation, anyway? Wouldn't he need a lighter or something, for starters? And he can't be hiding one, he doesn't have any pockets!"

Knuckles' grip on her shoulder tightened. "What?" he snarled at her, his breath hot and humid on her face. "I caught him red-handed! Right in the thick of things! Surrounded by flames, with a 'bot nowhere to be seen!"

"Did you scavenge the area for shrapnel?" Amy shot back defensively. "Although it's probably too late now! Robotnik probably sent another 'bot to come and clear any evidence while you were busy falsely accusing Sonic! Idiot!"

By now Knuckles' grip on her was so fierce her shoulder began to ache and throb. "You're hurting me!" she complained, jerking backwards without avail. Knuckles' hold on her was vice-like and unyielding. "Where is he? What have you done to him? You haven't killed him, have you?"

"He fled," the echidna told blackly. "That coward grabbed that little two-tailed freak and ran." His lips suddenly turned upwards with the faintest trip of a smile. "But one of Robotnik's surveillance cams's caught sight of him just a few seconds ago. The doctor is flying out to meet him there, and we're going to join them. I've got a plan." His left hand lifted, showing her the bandana he had used earlier to blindfold her. "_You're_ going in blind. A magician has gotta have his secrets, right?" He flashed her a wicked smile. "I don't want you knowing any of my shortcuts, in case you manage to make another 

daring escape again." He released her shoulder only to spin her around so he could pull the fabric tight around her eyes, manhandling her more than what was strictly necessary.

* * *

And that's how she wound up here, in the midst of a hostage negotiation. Knuckles was holding her by the back of her dress, the two of them standing on the very edge of a waterfall that fell so far into the abyss below that Amy couldn't see the end to it. Sonic and Tails were on a cliff opposite to them, watching the echidna and his pink hedgehog apprehensively. Behind them was the smoldering wreckage of Robotnik's newly destroyed mechanical contraption. The doctor was no where to be seen, but he had presumably (like always) escaped.

"Let her go, you bastard!" Sonic yelled. He was as close as he possibly was to the edge of the cliff, but it was far away enough from them that he couldn't jump across to make a bid for her rescue. Originally, she had wondered why he didn't hitch a ride with Tails and simply_ fly_ over there – but then she realized the fox had its tails dragging along the ground, and figured that he must've hurt them in the confrontation with Knuckles or the fight with Robotnik that followed.

"I'm willing to make a trade, hedgehog," the scarlet echidna sneered. "Your life, for her's!"

"Dude, you've got this all wrong!" Sonic shouted back angrily. "It's Robotnik who's the badguy here! That fat bozo has obviously duped you! He's the one who set fire to the forest, not me!"

"You're lying!" Knuckles screamed back. "You're the one who did it, I know you did! Do you know how many animals _died_ in that fire? Hundreds, at least! Hundreds more will be homeless in the meantime until I can fix it, you maniac! Now, decide. Your life or the girl's?"

"Don't do it!" Amy warned, and Knuckles clamped an enormous hand over her mouth to stifle the sound. Sonic seemed to dance on the spot, obviously trying to do some quick thinking.

"Time's up," Knuckles said coldly, and he lifted her off the ground by the back of her collar, swinging her in front of him so that she was dangling hopelessly over the waterfall. Amy cried out as she felt the fabric ripping beneath the added weight of her body being suspended by it.

"Amy!" Sonic called, reaching out uselessly for her.

"Sonic!" Amy shrieked back, by this time completely terrified.

"Maybe next time you'll think about the _consequences_," Knuckles spat venomously. "Every action has a reaction. I hope this weighs heavily on your conscious." And he let her go.

Amy screamed as she fell, hands thrown out in an attempt to catch a ledge before it was too late. It was all for naught, however; she continued to gain momentum as she fell down, down, further away from Knuckles and the others—

"AMY!" Sonic shouted, and in that moment, he did something that was both very heroic and very stupid—he dove off of the cliff after her.

"No!" Amy screamed, more terrified for his safety than her own. Sonic streaked down behind her, reaching out vainly with his hand as he, too, began to pick up speed while gravity began to take over. Their fingers were close now, almost brushing—

She saw Sonic's eyes widen further with terror, and knew that the water was rushing up to meet them--

It was the last thing she remembered, before it all went black.


	6. Things Can Only Get Better

_A/N: Whew. I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get to you guys. To be perfectly honest, I've been really struggling with the fandom as of late. I keep getting writer's block and motivation becomes increasingly harder to find… still, I've finally managed to pump this chapter out, although the entire process was grueling. I hope you all enjoy. _

--

"Let me go!" Sonic yelled, trying to wrench his arm free from Tails' grasp as they floated above the rushing torrent of cobalt water. "Let me go, Tails, I've got to find her!"  
"Sonic, you can't _swim_," the petite fox tried to reason, two tails whirling over their heads like helicopter blades as he drifted toward the nearest ledge to land upon. The elder hedgehog's struggling became more and more pronounced the closer they go, and Tails was hesitant to touch down entirely.

"Sonic, get a grip," Tails said, eyes flicking about nervously as they hovered above their designated landing spot. He was afraid of dropping the hedgehog off before he had cooled off; afraid that the hedgehog might do something rash and potentially dangerous. Sonic was impulsive, a hero who was quick to jump into action, and his eagerness to help others in need is generally what endeared people to him. Still, he was known to be brash and reckless at times, and Tails was concerned for his elder companion's well-being. Knuckles had already proved himself to be callous and calculating, viscious and unpredictable, if the way he had pitched Amy off the cliff was any indication. It was seemingly lack of consciousness that terrified Tails the most.

Sure, Robotnik could be cruel – but a complete absence of feeling…? Robotnik turned people into robots; he didn't _kill_ people. Knuckles' apparent disregard for life was worrisome, at the very least. This was certainly a kind of enemy Sonic and Tails had never faced off against, and so Tails knew they had tread carefully here, on the enemy's turf, facing off against an adversary they had never properly prepared for.

"Let me down!" Sonic cried up at him, kicking his legs uselessly as they drew more and more tantalizingly close.

"I _will_ put you down, Sonic, but I want you to listen to me first, okay?"  
It was the raw, wide-eyed fear etched across his face that finally convinced Sonic to listen. His eyebrows eased up at the sight of his obviously troubled friend, and he became suddenly calm and resigned. "Alright, Tails," he said, a little more gently now. "Put me down, and we'll talk."

* * *

"W-where am I…?"

"Oh, good, you're awake," Knuckles said, getting up out of his crouched position over her. She watched him peel his water-logged gloves from his hands, turning so that his back was facing her, and wring them out before pulling them back on. Although she couldn't be entirely sure, she was fairly positive he felt self-conscious with her staring at his exposed hands.

Amy blinked as she sat up. Her clothes were soaked, and her fur damp. It became clear with her that she _had_ made contact with the water after all, and had been rendered unconscious in the chaos that ensued. "I'm not dead?" she asked, almost surprised.

"Obviously not," Knuckles said, turning back around again and rolling his eyes.

"…But… why?"

"Well, you're not a very good bartering chip if you're _dead_," Knuckles said, as if this was painfully obvious. "And since Sonic didn't lay down his life for you, because no, that would be too _easy_, we have to resort to plan B." He clicked his tongue distastefully.

To say Amy was surprised was a bit of an understatement. "I thought you would've considered it an 'eye for an eye', just the same."

"Do you _want _to die?" Knuckles said, lifting his eye-ridge. "Because I suppose it's not too late. I could still drown you or something. You're kind of an obnoxious hostage, to be perfectly honest; maybe I'm better off."

Amy ignored him. "So what happened? I mean… I hit the water, right? I don't remember anything after that…"

"I dove in after you," Knuckles said simply, shrugging. "Although I didn't let Sonic see that. I was kind of hoping he'd at least drown for his chivalry, but that two-tailed twit rescued him instead."

"You… you saved me?" Amy blinked, confused.

"I already told you why," Knuckles said, looking irate as he wiped a bead of water free from his face. "My main quarrel isn't with you, anyway. I don't like taking innocent lives." Amy was weirdly touched by the comment, as the reality of the matter sunk in: he saved her. He was trying to kill Sonic though, but that was out of misguided manipulation on Robotnik's part, and perhaps she could forgive him for that. It was pretty obvious the Echidna didn't interact with others, especially outsiders.

It was in this moment Amy came to a decision: she wouldn't simply try to save Sonic and flee the Island. She would somehow prove the elder hedgehog's innocence, and expose to Knuckles the true threat. Because it was quite evident that Robotnik had a plan in store, and that Knuckles and his Island were in dangerous. A catastrophe was imminent, Amy realized, and it was going to be something far more devastating than the fire they had witnessed just hours prior.

"Alright, get up," Knuckles said, seizing Amy under the shoulders before she could formulate a proper response, and pulled upright. And for once, Amy did not resist. Because although Knuckles was not conscious of it, she was on his side.


	7. animals strike curious poses

**A/N:** KAY THIS IS YOUR TEASER before i give you all a REAL update. i promise the next chapter will have some plot development (read: budding feelings between Amy and Knuckles. cuz i loves me a good love triangle.) anyway, i know this is taken me forever to get out there but, well, here you are :D hope y'all enjoy!

* * *

"Listen, Sonic," Tails said finally, after his companion had calmed down considerably. "I'm scared."

Sonic looked as though he was on the verge of saying something, but in the end he stayed quiet. He _had _consented to listen to what Tails had to say on the matter, after all.

"We're on unfamiliar turf, which already puts us at a disadvantage. But beyond that, we're facing a kind of opponent we've never encountered before." He paused, half-waiting for Sonic to interrupt, but the hedgehog jerked his head irritably for Tails to continue. "Knuckles has already shown us that he has no qualms against hurting us. Remember, he thinks we're the responsible party for the destruction of these plains." He gestured to the vast wasteland just beyond the still-smoldering treetops. "If he had even the slightest inclination of sparing us before, it's flown out the window now. He's out for revenge, Sonic. He's out for our _blood_."

Sonic could hold his silence no longer. "All the more reason to get _on_ it, Tails!" the blue hero exploded angrily. "Amy's life could be at stake here! You saw how he pitched her off the edge of a cliff!" His voice startled some ash-covered birds into flight, and Tails jumped at the sound of their flapping wings and angry squawks. When Sonic saw how skittish the two-tailed fox had become since their arrival on the Floating Island, his expression softened.

"I know you're concerned," Sonic tried again, more gently this time. He put his hand on the younger kit's shoulder. "And trust me, the feeling is mutual. But the longer we wait, the higher the probability is that Amy could be hurt!"

"Sonic, I think if we act too rashly, the consequences will be _far_ worse. Knuckles dove in after her, after all," Tails reminded him quietly, shaking his head. Sonic still seemed unsure, and the two-tailed genius shrugged his arm off. "It's obvious he still has plans for her, although presently, we may not be sure what they are. An unnerving thought, yes, but we don't want to force Knuckles' hand. If he has to act rashly, then Amy could be killed."

Sonic bit his lip, and Tails sighed. "I'm not saying we abandon the endeavor outright, Sonic. I'm just saying we have to play it safe."

"But what if he plans to hand her over to Robotnik?"

Tails frowned and scratched the back of his head. "To be honest, Sonic," he admitted slowly. "Considering what Knuckles has shown himself to be capable of, she might be _better off_ in Robotnik's hands."

--

"Where are we going?"

"_I'm_ going to the Hydrocity Zone," Knuckles responded tartly, as he continued to drag his pink hostage through the intricately-woven pipe system that supplied the Island with clean-running water. "But first, I'm taking_ you _back to Dr. Robotnik_."_

"R-Robotnik?" She hated to think what the technological tyrant would have in store for her now that he had regained his bearings. "Can't I stay with you?"

"Sorry, I don't really have the patience to play babysitter right now."

"Please! I promise I won't get in the way. Just… just please, don't make me go back there!"

Knuckles came to a halt so abruptly that Amy stumbled into him and nearly fell backwards on her bottom. The scarlet Guardian glanced over his shoulder back at her, one eyeridge lifted skeptically. He appeared suspicious. "Why do you want to stay with me so badly?"

"I'm sure he told you what I did to him," Amy blurted suddenly, and Knuckles cracked a sardonic smile.

"Yeah. So?"

"So… don't you think he's going to be _angry_?"

"I'm sure he probably is," Knuckles admitted, still wearing that infuriating smirk. "But maybe you should have considered the repercussions for your actions_ before_ you brought it upon yourself to kick him in the balls."

"I thought you told me you weren't interested in hurting innocents!"

Knuckles snorted, tossing his thick red dreadlocks over his shoulder as he faced forward again. "I sincerely doubt he'll kill you, Amy," he scoffed as he began to drag her forward again. "You're too valuable as it stands. Alive."

_I wouldn't bet on that_, Amy thought miserably. _After that little stunt I pulled, Robotnik might take what he can get at this point. _She dug the toe of one boot into the earth behind a considerably sized rock wedged in the undergrowth littering their pathway, creating resistance between the two of them. Knuckles continued to pull, but she wouldn't budge. He turned around again, exasperated.

"What?"

"I won't try to escape or anything. I _promise_," she swore desperately, looking up at him with wide green eyes.

Knuckles looked down into those emerald optics and seemed to actually consider the offer. "Your kind has already proved that you can't be trusted," he said eventually, but he appeared to be relenting on his stance somewhat.

Amy did her best to sway him. "There may come a time where you'll wish I was on hand again," she said quickly, doing her best to convince him. "I'll work as better leverage in your favor if Sonic can actually see me."

She could see that the Guardian was relenting. Still, he seemed highly suspicious of her motives. "What's your aim here? I know you have one. You can't tell me you're doing this purely for my benefit, or because you're afraid of the Doc. You've already shown you're more than capable of taking care of yourself."

Amy hesitated. "I want to prove my boyfriend's innocence," she admitted finally. There was no use in denying the truth; Knuckles would find out sooner or later anyway. The echidna seemed taken aback by her honesty—but in the end, it helped sway his convictions in her favor.

"Either you're a very convincing liar," Knuckles said slowly, shaking his head, "or you honestly believe that."

"With all my heart," Amy swore passionately, hoping that the earnestness in her voice might win a point in Sonic's favor. But then Knuckles laughed, and she knew that it didn't.

"You're delusional," Knuckles said, slackening his grip on Amy's wrist until eventually she could pull it away completely. She rubbed her wrist where he had been hanging so fiercely onto her. "Fine, you can come, but don't get in the way. And if you try to make a break for it again, you can kiss your freedom – and a few of your boyfriend's teeth – goodbye. Every action has a reaction." He lifted one enormous barbed fist for emphasis. "You'd be wise to remember that."

Threatening her with violence on Sonic's behalf—an effective strategy. More than anything, Amy didn't want to see Sonic hurt—a weakness that Knuckles knew he could profit off of. "I won't try to run," she promised, and she really did mean it.

"Alright then, let's go," Knuckles said, and this time Amy fell in step beside him—not as a prisoner, but as a companion.


End file.
